Incandescent mantle.



UNITED STATES "ATT QFIFICE.

THOMAS TEBRELL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

INGANDESCENT MANTLE.

9 %,488. Specification of LettersPatent- Patented Dec. ML, 1999.. No Drawing. Application filed March 18, 1907. Serial No. 363,055.

0 all whom it may concern: tion of salts of the illuminating metals (ni- Be it known that I, THoMAs TERRELL, a trates of thorium and cerium) until the sosubject of the King of England, and residlution has thoroughly permeated the fiber, ing in London, England, have invented cerand until the fabric contains the nitrates to 5 tain new and useful Improvements in Inan amount equivalent to a very high percandescent .Mantles, of which the following centage, namely more than 30% of oxids of is a specification. the illuminating metals.

This invention relates to improvements in In order to effect a proper absorption of the manufacture of incandescent mantles. the illuminating salts the natural cellulose Hitherto before selling incandescent manmay be hydrated, for example mercerized tles to the users, it has been customary to cotton may be employed. The solution is incinerate the mantles (2'. e. to burn out the then removed from the fiber by mechanical organic tissue, such as cotton, therefrom) means and the fibers are then rendered perand having thus produced a fragile skeleton fectly dry by drying in stoves at a low temof illuminating oxids, the mantle has been perature. The fabric is subsequently im coated with collodion for the purpose of mersed in a concentrated solution of amstrengthening the burned off mantle. monia and is then washed in distilled water The object of this invention is to produce and dried when it is ready for spinning or a mantle which may be sold in the unburned knitting. By the process of drying and state (2'. c. with the organic tissue still contreating with ammonia the oxids of the tained therein), and so manufactured and illuminating metals are formed in the fibers prepared that the purchaser can apply the in very high proportion, but in such a form mantle to an ordinary gas burner and inthat no microscopic examination can discinerate it in s'ita. close any separate inorganic particles.

In producing a mantle which can be in Any other process resulting in an uncinerated on an ordinary gas burner, it is burned mantle consisting of cellulose comessential that the mantle shall not shrink bined with the necessary high proportions very much on burning off and shall proof the hydrated oxids of thorium and cerium duce a very cohesive, tough and strong man would be suitable for the purpose of this intle when incinerated. Secondly it is esvention. sential that the unburned mantle as supplied The fabric is knitted either before or after to the user shall be inflammable, that is that impregnation. The knitted and impregnated it shall be capable of incinerating itself fabric is then immersed in hot water or is when a lighted match is applied to it, and steamed with the object of setting the further it is essential that the shape or form stitches. The fabric is next cut into suitable of the mantle and its stitches shall be fixed lengths according to the shape and size of before burning off in order that the proper the mantles required. The heads are then shape of the finished mantle may be effectsewn in and a strengthening fluid may be ap ively insured. plied to the top. The mantles are now coated To this end the invention broadly consists with a ready inflammable stiffening subin producing an unburned mantle containstance, for example they may be dipped in a ing a high proportion of oxids of the illusolution of collodion. The best form of colminating metals, setting the stitches of the lodion for the purpose is produced by mixmantle after impregnatlon, and coating the ing trinitro cellulose with nitro glycerin mantle with a combustible oxygen-yielding and dissolving these in a mixture of ether inflammable stiffening substance such as coland acetone. The mantle is next partially lodion, so that the mantle can be sold to the dried until it is almost completely dry and user in the soft form ready for incineration is then placed on a hot former (preferably on the ordinary burner. heated internally by steam) of a diameter A process of producing unburned mantles suitable to the diameter of the burner top on or fabric containing the necessary high prowhich the mantle is subsequently to be used. portion of oxids of the illuminating metals A mantle properly made by my process .in such a condition as will yield a cohesive cited above shrinks on incineration about and tough mantle is as follows :Very fine 35% in length and 35% in diameter, so that threads of cotton, ramie or other natural the unburned mantle should be made about cellulose are soaked in a concentrated solu- 55% longer and broader than the mantle required after burnin Thus in producing mantles for an ordinary burner having a burner top of one inch diameter, the former upon which the mantles are formed as described above, should be slightly over one and a half inches in diameter, say one and five-eighths inches.

The hot former will completely dry and set the collodion and will fix the threads of the mantle in their position so that the mantle can be folded and packed without risk of injury or disturbance or change in size or shape.

When it is desired to use the mantle it is placed on an ordinary burner in the usual way, and of course it is much too large. As it is necessary to insure uniform incineration a light is now applied to the top of the mantle, when the collodion will rapidly catch fire and burn downward completely around the mantle. The organic matter is thus burned out of the mantle and when the mantle is burned to the bottom it will have shrunk nearly to its final dimensions. The gas is then turned on low and lighted so as to burn off any residual carbonaceous matter, which takes a few seconds, and when this is accomplished the gas may be turned on full when the incinerated mantle acts in the usual way.

This process is equally applicable to the manufacture of inverted incandescent mantles and the user in burning off such mantles merely ignites them at the top, after which the gas may be turned on and the mantle used in the ordinary way.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The process of manufacturing a soft incandescent mantle which contains the organic fabric but which can be incinerated on an ordinary burner, consisting in producing a mantle containing the original organic fabric impregnated with a high proportion of oXids of illuminating metals and coating the same with an inflammable oxygen-yielding stiffening substance.

2. The process of manufacturing a soft incandescent mantle which contains the organic fabric but which can be incinerated on an ordinary burner, consisting in producing a mantle containing the original organic fabric impregnated with a high proportion of oxids of illuminating metals, coating the same with an inflammable oxygen-yielding stiffening substance and shaping the mantle on a heated former.

3. The process of manufacturing a soft incandescent mantle which contains the organic fabric but which can be incinerated on an ordinary burner, consisting in soaking fibers of natural cellulose in a concentrated solution of salts of the illuminating metals, drying the fibers, immersing them in a concentrated solution of ammonia to transform the salts into hydrated oXids, washing out the ammonia, drying the fibers, forming a mantle therefrom, coating the mantle with an inflammable oxygen-yielding stiffening substance and shaping the mantle on a heated former.

a. The process of manufacturing a soft incandescent mantle which contains the organic fabric but which can be incinerated on an ordinary burner, consisting in mercerizing fibers of natural cellulose, soaking them in a concentrated solution of salts of the illuminating metals, drying the fibers, immersing them in a concentrated solution of ammonia, washing out the ammonia salts, drying the fibers, forming a mantle therefrom, coating the mantle with an inflammable oxygen-yielding stiffening substance, and shaping the mantle on a heated former.

5. The process of manufacturing a soft incandescent mantle which contains the organic fabric but which can be incinerated on an ordinary burner, consisting in producing a mantle containing the original organic fabric impregnated with a high proportion of oXids of illuminating metals, and coating the same with collodion.

6. The process of manufacturing a soft incandescent mantle which contains the organic fabric but which can be incinerated on an ordinary burner, consisting in producing a mantle containing the original organic fabric impregnated with a high proportion of oxids of illuminating metals, coating the same with collodion, and shaping the mantle on a heated former.

7. The process of manufacturing a soft incandescent mantle which contains the organic fabric but which can be incinerated on an ordinary burner, consisting in soaking fibers of natural cellulose in a concentrated solution of salts of the illuminating metals, drying the fibers, immersing them in a concentrated solution of ammonia to transform the salts into hydrated oxids, washing out the ammonia, drying the fibers, forming a mantle therefrom, coating the same with collodion, and shaping the mantle on a heated former.

8. The process of manufacturing a soft incandescent mantle which contains the organic fabric but which can be incinerated on an ordinary burner, consisting in mercerizing fibers of natural cellulose, soaking them in a concentrated solution of salts of the illuminating metals, drying the fibers, immersing them in a concentrated solution of ammonia, washing out the ammonia salts, drying the fibers, forming a mantle there from, coating the same with collodion, and

shaping the mantle on a heated former.

9. The process of manufacturing mantles which consists in producing an unburned mantle containing a high proportion of oXids of the illuminating metals, setting the stitches of the mantle after impregnation; in coating the mantle with a combustible oxygen-yielding inflammable stiffening sub 1 stance whereby the mantle is retained in the 1 soft form until incineration on the ordinary burner. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification'in the presence of two subsorlbmg witnesses.

THOMAS TERRELL.

Vitnesses JOHN P. H. SoPER, HERBERT BURRAGE. 

